It is a desirable marketing technique to obtain statistical information concerning the traffic flow of individuals passing into a defined space in numerous retail and other commercial settings. This information, once obtained, is often utilized for various marketing and promotional strategies. For example, such information may be used for the strategic placement of advertising and promotional materials or other items within a store. In other instances, such information can be used to identify "dead spots" within a store. In this way, the efficiency of use of the space may be maximized. Likewise, such information may be used to determine whether a particular location is a viable location for a new business.
Heretofore, tracking systems used in commercial settings have typically comprised sophisticated and costly video equipment coupled with other dedicated data processing units for monitoring traffic flow in specified areas. The video equipment obtains sensing information and then sends such information, via radio frequency transmission, to the processing units. In other instances, prior systems utilize a plurality of infrared sensors that are installed in the ceilings at each aisle in a grocery store that track shopping carts passing thereby. These systems also provide circuitry, located on the shopping carts, to communicate with the sensing equipment. The carts also include displays to provide information to shoppers, while being monitored by the sensing equipment.
In still other instances, tracking systems are employed, but not for the purposes of counting traffic. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,087, issued to Lucas, discloses a shipping cart retrieval system that is used to count shopping carts. Each of the carts are equipped with a "target" that is detected by a sensor which provides an output pulse upon the detection of a cart to generate an accumulated count. The accumulated count is then compared with a predetermined value, and an alarm sounds upon the detection of a match with a prize being typically awarded to the person returning the cart. The purpose of this system, however, is to provide an incentive to return shopping carts to the store and not for monitoring traffic flow.
Other systems are known which generally monitor individuals. Likewise, they are not suited for obtaining data corresponding to traffic flow in a retail setting. For example, Koelsch's U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,485 discloses a system for monitoring the number of persons inside a pass-through by detecting and counting persons within a defined space and determining the direction of movement of the individuals. Koelsch's device, however, is used to prevent unauthorized entry or passage through a controlled portal.
Thus, apart from the dedicated complex tracking systems, the only other known alternative is to locate personnel near the entrance of a defined space to monitor traffic flow into and out of the space. Of course, this requires actual physical counting of persons as they pass into the designated area. This method is susceptible to human error, notwithstanding the requirement for retabulation of the data in many cases.